Congress has barred federal agencies from such studies

9:49 PM,
Jan. 19, 2013

Gun rights supporters stand Saturday outside the Capitol in Phoenix during a Guns Across America rally.

Written by

Donna Leinwand
| USA Today

President Barack Obama's demand for research into gun violence could usher in a flood of data on the nation's 32,000 annual gun deaths after decades of an information blackout.

Scientists and policymakers say they have little scientific data about gun violence after Congress prohibited federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, from offering research grants to study anything that could be used to promote gun control.

If Americans knew more about gun violence, they would take steps to end it, said Mark Glaze, director of ...